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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23793316">Alone With You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kkane88/pseuds/Kkane88'>Kkane88</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Men's Hockey RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Coming Out, Fluff, Getting Together, Light Angst, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 22:41:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,615</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23793316</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kkane88/pseuds/Kkane88</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Auston and Mitch get locked in a closet and Auston has to keep Mitch calm</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Mitch Marner/Auston Matthews</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>82</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Alone With You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Find me on tumblr:<br/><a href="https://kwriteshockey.tumblr.com/">kwriteshockey</a><br/><a href="https://boqer27.tumblr.com/">boqer27</a></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"We're gonna get in so much trouble," Auston grumbles, following Mitch down the empty hallways of the arena.</p><p>"They're never gonna find out," Mitch argues. "We go in, get the stuff, get out. No one will ever know."</p><p>"Except for Dave," Auston points out. "I can't believe he just handed his keys over."</p><p>"As long as I return them we'll be fine and coach will never know," Mitch tries to reassure him, reaching back to tug on Auston's arm impatiently to get him to hurry up.</p><p>"Mhm," Auston hums skeptically. He considers turning around and walking out, leaving Mitch to 'borrow' the gear on his own, but he's never been able to say no to Mitch. He's not going to be able to start now. He's pretty relieved when they finally get to the door Mitch was looking for; the faster they get this done, the less chance they have of getting caught.</p><p>Mitch fits the key in the lock and pulls the door open, leaving the keys dangling from the doorknob, and steps inside the small room. With a sigh, Auston follows. It's less a room and more of a closet- just a place to store extra pucks and sticks, which is what Mitch is here for. Auston doesn't even know why Mitch needs them- he was too afraid to ask. The room doesn't even have a light, so Mitch pulls out his phone and turns on his flashlight.</p><p>"Get in here," Mitch demands. "In case someone walks by." Auston steps in and lets the door close behind him, taking the pucks that Mitch thrusts into his arms. He stands there in silent exasperation, listing to Mitch mutter to himself, and taking whatever is passed to him, until Mitch seems satisfied. "Ok, ready to go?" He asks, arms full of a few sticks of varying sizes.</p><p>"Finally," Auston huffs, turning toward the door. He has to maneuver some things in his arms before he can reach out for the door handle.</p><p>He turns it. It doesn't move. He wiggles it a little bit, throwing his weight against the door, but it doesn't budge. His mind goes blank.</p><p>"What's wrong?"  Mitch asks, pressing in close in a way that would normally be distracting, but right now barely even processes in Auston's brain.</p><p>"It's locked." Auston's voice is flat, and he doesn't recognize it as coming from him. He doesn't want to freak out. Not at Mitch.</p><p>"What do you mean it's locked?" The hysterical note is Mitch's voice is what finally knocks some sense into Auston and he looks over. Mitch's eyes are wide and panicked, his lips parted in shock, and this time Auston <em>is</em> distracted by the sight. He has to blink a few times and tear his gaze away from Mitch's mouth, barely illuminated by the light of the phone. Mitch reaches out and tries the handle himself, and it still doesn't budge. After that, there's silence for awhile. Mitch is staring at the door like maybe he'll be able to unlock it with the force of his mind, and Auston's staring at Mitch, trying to think of something to say. This would normally be where Auston started yelling, but he knows about Mitch's claustrophobia. He figures being trapped in the closet is punishment enough for Mitch, who's already turning pale as his breathing starts to speed up.</p><p>"Hey," Auston says soothingly. "Let's just put this stuff back and figure this out, okay?" Giving Mitch a task seems to help him focus and he nods decisively, turning around with Auston and stacking all of the gear back on the shelf and in the rack. When they're done, Auston hooks an arm around Mitch's shoulders and pulls him to his side. "We're gonna call someone to come get us, okay? We'll be out of here in no time."</p><p>"Okay," Mitch says, starting to sound a little shaky. He still has his flashlight pointing around the room, so Auston pulls his own phone out and starts dialing. Mo doesn't answer. Neither does Freddie. Auston makes his way down his list of teammates, calling each one.</p><p>"How the fuck can <em>all of them</em> be busy?" he asks once he made his way down the list with no response. Mitch makes a strange choking sound that could be a laugh or could be a sob. Auston pulls him tighter against his side and sends an "<em>SOS</em>" to the group chat. After a few minutes, there's still no response from anyone. "Okay," he says finally. "No one answered, but someone will check their phones soon. I promise, Mitch, we'll be out in a bit."</p><p>"Okay," Mitch says again, seemingly the only thing he can get out right now.</p><p>"Are you okay?" Auston asks, concerned by how white his face has gotten. Mitch just nods. "Can you say something, for me?"</p><p>"I'm okay," Mitch says, only a little shaky. "I don't think I've ever told you… I'm afraid of the dark, too." Auston wants to groan. Mitch has managed to get himself in the worst possible situation: trapped in a small room with no lights. At least he's not by himself.</p><p>"We just have to wait for a little bit," Auston says again. "It's not so bad." And then, like some kind of cosmic joke, Mitch's phone dies, and along with it, the flashlight. Mitch sucks in a sharp breath and presses close to Auston, burying his face in the crook of Auston's shoulder.</p><p>"This was a terrible idea," Mitch whines as Auston's hand comes up, almost without his permission, to stroke Mitch's hair. "Turn your flashlight on!"</p><p>"I can't," Auston says apologetically. "My phone battery is low, too. I need to save it for when someone calls back." Mitch whines, a pitiful sound, and Auston wraps an arm around his waist to pull him closer. This is something he normally wouldn't let himself get away with, but Mitch is distressed and if he can help, he's going to. "Hey, trust me?" he asks. Mitch nods without hesitation.</p><p>Auston maneuvers them so they're sitting on the ground. He splays his legs out and settles Mitch in front of him, his back to Auston's chest and Auston wraps his arms around him. Mitch relaxes against him and his hands settle on top of Auston's arms. "Just keep your eyes closed, okay?" Auston instructs. "It doesn't matter where we are because I've got you. Just focus on my arms around you."</p><p>Mitch's breathing starts to slow, as does his heart rate, until they match up to Auston's. Auston starts humming some nameless tune under his breath, causing Mitch to laugh at him.</p><p>"Gonna distract me with a concert?" he asks, tilting his head so his temple rests against Auston's cheek.</p><p>"I don't think either of us would enjoy that," Auston laughs, distracted by the warmth of Mitch's skin against his.</p><p>"Can you tell me a story or something?" Mitch asks. Auston has to think for a second. He's not very good at making up stories, but if he keeps it simple he should be able to do it.</p><p>"Once upon a time, there was a very small hockey player called Marns," he starts.</p><p>"I'm not small! I'm 6 feet!" Mitch protests. Auston continues like he didn't hear.</p><p>"Marns was loved by everyone- in the locker room and beyond."</p><p>"Well that <em>is</em> true," Mitch agrees. Auston freezes for a moment, steeling himself for the decision he's about to make. They're trapped in a closet so he won't be able to get away if it goes wrong, but he may be able to play it off as a joke.<br/>
"There was one hockey player named Matts who was particularly fond of Marns- so much so that he agreed to follow him into the empty rink late one night to sneak into a tiny closet." Mitch is completely silent now, but he turns his head to nuzzle his face into the crook of Auston's neck again. His hands tighten on Auston's arms, like he's afraid Auston's going to let go. He screws up his courage. It helps that he can't see Mitch's face. "Matts would follow Marns anywhere, and he could never make himself regret it, even if he pretended to."</p><p>"Auston," Mitch says, strangled. He moves before Auston realizes it, tears himself out of Auston's arms and turns so he's kneeling in front of him. It's so dark that Auston can only see the vague outline of him, but Mitch reaches out and cups Auston's face with both hands. Auston lets his own hands fall to his lap. "Keep going," he says a little breathlessly. Auston has to swallow a couple times before he's able to continue.</p><p>"Well, the two idiots got locked in the closet together, which is a pretty funny metaphor for Matts. Being in the closet, I mean." Auston babbles. Mitch makes a sound Auston can't interpret. He's still glad he can't see Mitch's face. "Matts just wanted to make sure Marns was okay, so he did what he could to make sure Marns was comfortable."</p><p>"Auston," Mitch says again. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"</p><p>"That depends on what you think I'm saying," he deflects.</p><p>"Well if you're saying what I think you're saying," he says, leaning closer, "I think I'd like to kiss you."</p><p>"You… what? Really?" Auston has a hard time believing it. That is, until he feels Mitch lean closer, lips seemingly just centimeters from Auston's.</p><p>"Can I?" Mitch breathes.</p><p>"Yeah," Auston says without hesitation. And then Mitch's lips are on his and Auston has lost the ability to <em>think</em>. He reaches up and grips Mitch's hips and the kiss doesn't turn into anything deeper than a press of lips, but it's already one of the best things Auston's ever experienced. Mitch pulls back , just a bit, and rests his forehead against Auston's.</p><p>"I've been wanting to do that for <em>years</em>," he says.</p><p>"You have?" Auston asks, still dazed.</p><p>"Probably since you got all those goals in your first game," Mitch admits. "At first it was just because of your hockey, but then it was just because… it's you."</p><p>"Oh," Auston says.</p><p>"Did I break you?" Mitch giggles, running a hand through Auston's hair.</p><p>"Maybe a little bit," Auston admits. "That wasn't really what I was expecting to happen tonight."</p><p>"You mean it wasn't your master plan to get us locked in the closet so you could have your wicked way with me?" Mitch teases, tangling his hand in Auston's hair.</p><p>"Marns, I'm not having my <em>wicked way</em> with you in a closet at the rink," Auston says decisively. "You're gonna have to wait until we get to a bed."</p><p>"No fair," Mitch whines, leaning in to kiss Auston again.</p><p>"You're the one that got us into this mess," Auston mumbles against his lips. "This is your punishment."</p><p>"It doesn't really feel like a punishment," Mitch grins. Auston doesn't remind him that they're trapped in a small space in the dark, just in case. He does pick his phone up to check and see if there's any messages, and he's disappointed not to see a response. He's even more eager now to get <em>out of here</em>.</p><p>"Still nothing?" Mitch asks, shifting around to sit how he was before, with his back to Auston's chest.</p><p>"Still nothing," he confirms. "What do you wanna do now?"</p><p>They end up just chatting for awhile, about everything and nothing, and Auston will never admit out loud that this is one of his favorite moments with Mitch- just the two of them with nothing to do but talk. Eventually they must fall asleep, propped up against the wall with Auston wrapped around Mitch like an octopus.</p><p>The next thing he knows, there's a blinding light and he and Mitch groan in unison, blinking against the sudden brightness. When his vision focuses, he sees Mo standing in the doorway looking <em>really </em>confused.</p><p>"What are you guys doing in here?" he asks.</p><p>"Mitch had an idea and we got trapped," he says, not bothering to move since Mitch hasn't. "How'd you find us?"</p><p>"We were answering your SOS message and we tried calling you but you didn't answer so we got worried," Mo explains. "So I used the SnapMap to track you and it said you were here. I've been looking all over for you, and I noticed the keys in the door. I didn't actually think you'd be <em>in</em> here." Auston doesn't know what to say to that so he just shrugs, which has the unfortunate effect of dislodging Mitch. Mitch grunts, but he stretches out before getting to his feet. Auston follows him.</p><p>"What time is it?" Mitch asks sleepily.</p><p>"Almost midnight," Mo answers as he steps back to let them out, still looking at them like they have two heads.</p><p>"Ugh," Auston groans, acting like everything is totally normal. They all start making their way out of the rink, Mo trailing behind the two of them, and Auston is shocked when Mitch reaches over and links their fingers.</p><p>He goes with it. He hears Mo's footsteps stop behind them for a second and then start up again. Auston's face is burning, but he's not ashamed of how he feels about Mitch, and if anyone is going to find out… he's okay with it being Mo first. They're just heading to the car to leave when Mo stops them.</p><p>"Hey." They turn to look at him and he stops, seeming unsure of what to say. Auston's heart is in his throat. "I've got your back," is what he finally says. Auston relaxes and nods at him in thanks. Mitch beams so brightly that Auston almost can't stand to look at him.</p><p>"Thanks for getting us out of there," Auston says.</p><p>"Looks to me like you didn't mind being locked up," Mo quips back. They exchange goodbyes and Mitch practically drags Auston into the car.</p><p>"So…" he says once they're on the road. "The place we're going has a bed, right?"</p><p>"Right," Auston says hesitantly, unsure where Mitch is going with this.</p><p>"Well, you said you would have your wicked way with me in a bed, right?" Auston laughs.</p><p>"We're going to sleep tonight," he says firmly. "But the bed will still be there tomorrow. <em>After practice</em>."</p><p>"Matts," Mitch says, affronted. "You're gonna make me <em>wait</em>?"</p><p>"Yes, I'm gonna make you wait," he says, squeezing the hand he still has linked with his own. "I'd like to actually be well-rested and not sore from sitting on the floor the first time we have sex."</p><p>"Don't tell me you're a closet romantic," Mitch says. "Get it? <em>Closet</em>?" Auston doesn't dignify that with a response. "Alright, Matts, we'll do it your way." They don't say anything else before they're pulling up in front of Auston's apartment. Mitch follows him up and they take turns using the bathroom and changing before crawling into Auston's bed. For never having shared a bed before, it's surprisingly easy and comfortable. They lay facing each other, just staring in silence.</p><p>"This is easy," Auston says finally. "Why is this so easy?"</p><p>"It's us," Mitch shrugs. Auston supposes that makes sense. They've always just fit. Mitch heaves himself up and leans over Auston, bringing their lips together for a long, slow kiss that leaves Auston's toes tingling. When he pulls back, Mitch flops down on Auston's chest and makes himself comfortable. "Don't overthink it. Just go with it." Auston can agree to that. He's been waiting and hoping for this for so long that falling asleep with Mitch's warm weight covering him makes him feel like everything is right in the world. He can't wait for tomorrow.</p>
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